Picture or film timer



NOV 5, 1946. M.-FLE1scHER ErAI. 2,410,577 V PICTURE oR FILM TIMER FiledOct. 16, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheetl nel@ vll-"lll: MMIII.

m? HA mum LD, FR .0. xF AF Mmw i AM. FLEISCHER Erm. 2,410,577

`PICTURE OR FILM TIMER Nav. 5, 1946.

Filed Oct. 16, v1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 d' D FIG 5 MAX FLEISCHER jC l Y tGH-'Folio M` MAST, i B Y@ handys Patented Nov. 5, 1946 UNITEDl STATESPATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in indicating means adapted to beattached to the casing of a phonograph or the like and operativelyassociated with the sound producing record thereof to give a strikingvisible indication of the appropriate times to actuate a complementalPicture projecting apparatus so that there will be concomitantdescriptive and portrayal of objects reproduced in the records of thephonograph, a special indicating means being provided for each recordingand complemental slide film.

It has heretofore been attempted to couple-up a phonograph with apicture projecting apparatus whereby the latter is operated in attemptedsynchronization with the phonograph but ourimprovement relates moreparticularly to a phonograph used in connection with a pictorial orother display machine operated manually and Where appropriateindications must be imparted by the operation of the record of thephonograph to guide or tell the operator exactly when to actuate thepicture projecting apparatus to exhibit the appropriate picture orillustration.

An object of the invention is to provide an embodiment of the foregoingidea which will be simple in construction and readily applied andadjusted to the cabinet or other fixture of an ordinary or preferredtype of phonograph and which will Isuspend an indicator and actuatingmeans therefor in a plane above the ordinary record plane and inoperative association with a part at the axis of the record disc wherebyto receive an actuation (in this instance a progressive circularmovement) therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide the immediate indicatingelement of the device in the form of a disc having a number ofconcentrically arranged spots or the like-indicative of places intendedto be illustrated or Where illustrations should be changed,cooperatively related to a movable pointer progressively actuated as thephonograph record is rotated, to register definitely with the respectivespots-preferably aligned through a sight opening-to strikingly indicateto the operator that an actuation of the picture projecting machineshould take place to coincide with the description, lecture, song, orother matter imparted by sound from the phonograph.

The particular object and advantage of our machine, is that it silentlyindicates to the operator when the picture projecting apparatus shouldbe operated to exhibit a picture or lm, which entirely dispenses withthe common objection to sound indications such as gongs orhigh-frequency notes coming from a record to call for a picture orchange of picture, which mars the continuity of the desiredentertainment or instruction intended to be given by the con- `ioint useof talking and picture machines; the sound, such as the voice of acommentator, may be permitted to iow without interruption from scene toscene since the indications or signals do not form part of the record.This characteristie of the machine also simplifies recording of therecord since careful calculation of the timing in advance of recordingin order to determine the exact position at which the voice, music, orsounds must cease in favor of the signa1 recording may be avoided.

Another particular object of the machine is to provide a timing deviceIwhich is extremely simple ,to use, requires no extra motive power thanexists in the phonograph, and can be produced at very low cost.

Other features of novelty and details of parts and combinations thereofWill be understood from the specic description hereinafter containedWhen read in connection with the accompanying drawings forming parthereof and wherein the preferred embodiment of the invention isillustrated.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top view of a portion of a phonograph lshowingparticularly the motor driven record thereon, with our improvedindicator superposed thereabove in operable association with the drivencentering pin or post of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view to better show portions illustrated in Fig.l.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional View on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like referenceletters designate corresponding parts in all of the views, A representsa part of the cabinet of an ordinary phonograph or equivalent talkingmachine or apparatus within which is the customary motor (not shown) forrotating the turntable B for supporting the ordinary record disc C,centered in this instance upon a post of pin D, having a pivoted detentd adapted to occupy a horizontal position offset from the post D orvertical position in line with the post D for purposes as will appear.

E is an end wall of the cabinet A to which my improved attachment, nowto be specially referred to, is conveniently secured. An angle twopartbracket constitutes the support for the indicating mechanism. F is onepart oi the support and G the other part, the part F' having a verticalleg extending parallel to and against the wall E of the cabinet and ahorizontal portion underlying the turntable E and projectinghorizontally outwardly to near the peripheral edge of the record C. Thepart G overlies the horizontal portion of the angle bracket F and isintertted and interlocked therewith by having a tongue f on the lbracketF extended upwardly through a lslot g in the part G and a thumb nut fpassing through a slot f2 in the part F and having threaded engagementwith the part G. This affords means for longitudinal adjustment oi"-these two parts of the angle bracket FG. The upright or vertical portionof the bracket F is rmly anchored to the wall E of the cabinet by thumbscrews e passing through the bracket and wall E and having threadedengagement as at e with a metal plate H secured by screws h to the wallE on the inner 'side thereof.

The outer end of the part G, of the bracket just described, at a pointwell beyond the periphery of the disc C, is bent upwardly a substantialdistance as at i and has a return-bend portion J disposed parallel tothe interengaging horizontal portions of the brackets F-G and alsoparallel to the phonograph record or disc E and its 'support B, the partJ being, however, spaced a substantial distance above the disc B and itsrecord disc C thereon. At the inner end of the member or arm J is avertically disposed pivot K and mounted for rotary movement thereon,upon a washer k, is my indicator' disc L which may be made of anysuitable material, conveniently cardboard, metal, or a combination ofthe two. It has been found in practice that a. durable structurecomprising a metal underlying di'sc on which there is a paper facing, issatisfactory. On the top of this disc, and disposed therearound atdistances determined by the appropriate times for illustrations ofmatter played on the record C, are a multitude of spots M, which spotsare adapted to respectively register with a sight opening N in thehorizontal when said detent is in a horizontal position and is rotatedunder the actuation ci the moto-r which drives the post and recordturntable B. The detent d is pivoted in a slotted end of the post D andis frictionally held in either its horizontal or vertical position, itbeing understood that it will be vertically disposed when it is desiredto remove or place a record over the post D with reference to theturntable B, but that when the timing mechanism for indicating theactuation of the picture machine is to be used the detent will, ofcourse, be in a horizontal position.

It will be understood that the disc L will be rotated very slowly withreference to the rotation of the phonograph record disc and owing to therapidity of travel of the reproducing needle over the record disc andthe relative infrequent illustrating or picturing required, it is foundthat by a view of the concentrically arranged spots M near the outeredge of the disc L will be all that is usually required, but it will beunderstood fi i) 4 that the series may be augmented and the other partsformed to correspond therewith as necessity may require.

It remains to describe how the pointer shifts radially of the disc fromone circular series of spots to the next outer series as the phonographrecord is played, and such means will now be pointed out.

P represents the pointer referred to, arranged to slide longitudinallyof the sight opening or slot N and register with a spot M therebelow asthe disc L rotates, this pointer depending somewhat into the slot tomore closely approach the disc. The pointer is carried by, andpreferably integral with, a sleeve Q of oblong cross-section adapted tosurround and have sliding engagement with the horizontal portion n thathas the sight opening N and is moved longitudinally of said portion n inan outward direction as the disc L rotates to correspondingly effectregistration of the pointer with the successively outwardly arrangedseries of spots or dots M as follows. Also integral with the sleeve Q,and preferably offset somewhat upwardly therefrom as at q, is ahorizontal extension R carrying on its under surface, and suspendedabove the disc L, a series of ns S spaced apart to provide waystherebetween through which a shifting stud or pin T, projecting upwardlyfrom the disc L, may pass and engage the fin placed in the path ofcircular passage oi" said stud. The hns S are arranged in parallelrelationship and they are disposed at an inclination to the longitudinalaxis oi the extension plate or member R that carries the iin's or,stated in another way, the ins are arranged to intersect the circularpath of movement of the stud or pin T so that said pin while permittedto enter the space between a pair of dns must, however, come intoContact with the inclined n crossing said path of travel of the studwhereby the movement of the stud will, by engagement with the 1in, shovethe sleeve Q and pointer carried thereby outwardly from one position, inregistration with a 'series of spots or dots M to an advanced positionin registration With the succeeding outwardly located series of saidspots or dots; then as the disc L continues to rotate the pin or stud Twill engage the next inwardly located iin S to still `.Further push thepointer to its outermost position.

As previously suggested, the three concentrically arranged circularseries of spots or dots will ordinarily be sufficient to embrace therequirements or the phonograph record for which the disc L is providedas a complement, and without any sound or disturbance an operatorkeeping his eye on the pointer and associated sight opening will knowinstantly upon registration of the pointer with a dot or spot that thepicture apparatus should be operated to display a picture equivalentco-incidently with the descriptive or other matter emanating from thesound record.

While we have herein disclosed a practical and preferred embodiment ofthe invention it will be understood that various changes in theconstruction and arrangement ci parts of the device shown may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention asembraced within the hereto appended claims. For instance, while we havedisclosed the device as especially useful in connection with strikinglyindicating the time for manually controlling or operating a pictorialapparatus, as a complement to a sound reproducing apparatus it will beapparent to persons skilled in the art that the principle of themachine, as illustrated, may be carried out in instances Where provisionis made for automatically actuating thel picture machine as throughelectrical impulses or transmission.

We claim:

1. The combination with a sound producing apparatus having means forsupporting and operating a sound producing record of a given subject, ofan indicator to guide the showing of complemental pictorialrepresentations devoted to said subject comprising a disc mounted forrotation with said sound producing record, said disc bearingconcentrically arranged series of spots the successive spots in eachseries indicative of time for actuation of a picture projecting machineto visually portray matter in consonance with the subject matter given01T by said sound producing record, a movable pointer, and meansactuated by the movement of said disc to propel the pointer to positionsto register with said spots, said last-mentioned means includingparallel diagonally disposed fins on the pointer and a cooperating lugon the disc, the ns crossing the path of movement of the pin With thedisc whereby to be engaged by the lug and pushed with the pointer in aradial direction from an inner series of spots to an outer series of thesame.

2. A timer for complemental pictorial representation of matter given on'by a sound producing record, comprising supporting means for attachmentto a phonograph or the like, a disc rotatably mounted on the support tooccupy a horizontal position parallel to a sound producing record, thesaid disc bearing spots in line in separate series, the successive spotsin each series indicative of time for actuation of a picture projectingmachine to be in consonance with the subject matter given off lby saidsound producing record, a sight opening facilitating observation of saidspots as the disc rotates, an automatically propelled pointer at saidsight opening adapted to be adjusted therealong to progressive series ofspots, in combination with means for rotating the disc comprising atoothed peripheral portion and a rotatable detent mounted to be rotatedaxially of a rotatable sound producing record.

3. The combination with an apparatus of the character described havingmeans for supporting and operating a sound producing record and thesound producing record devoted to a given subject, of an indicator toguide the showing of complemental pictorial representations devoted tosaid subject, comprising a disc mounted in superposed parallel relationto the sound producing record and operatively connected for rotationtherewith, said disc bearing concentrically arranged series of spots,the successive spots in each series indicative of time for actuation ofa picture projecting machine to visually portray matter in consonancewith the subject matter given off by said sound producing record, amovable pointer, and means actuated by the movement of said disc topropel the pointer to position to register with the spots of thesuccessive series.

MAX FLEISCHER. GIFFORD M. MAST.

